13 December 2024
Quicksilver By Callie Hart Review And Book Club Questions
Reviewed by: Melissa Ng
Quick Facts
Book Publication Date: 4 June 2024
How I Read It: Purchased from Kobo
Where You Can Find Quicksilver by Callie Hart: Amazon | Kobo | Audible | Dymocks | QBD Books | Apple Books
Content & Trigger Warnings: Very spicy, coarse language, death of a parent, murder, violence, sterilisation, prostitution

Quicksilver Summary
In Quicksilver by Callie Hart, we meet Saeris, a 24-year-old thief surviving in the harsh streets of Zilvaren.
Saeris earn a living pickpocketing and stealing water from the Queen’s tightly controlled reservoirs. But when she steals a guard’s gauntlet, her luck runs out.
Saeris’s brother, Hayden, is caught with the stolen item, and her attempt to save him ends with her capture and sentencing to death.
During her brutal execution, Saeris’s desperation triggers a gateway to another realm, saving her life in the most unexpected way.
From this portal emerges Kingfisher — a fae warrior — who transports her to a land caught in a centuries-long conflict between fae and vampires.
Saeris quickly learns that she is an Alchemist, with rare magic tied to quicksilver, a substance central to the war.
Kingfisher enlists Saeris to help craft powerful relics using her alchemical abilities, hoping to gain an advantage in the escalating conflict.
As tensions between the fae and vampires reach a boiling point, Saeris finds herself entangled not only in the politics of a magical war but also in a fiery, enemies-to-lovers romance with Fisher.
Saeris must decide if she will stand by Fisher’s side to end the war — or find a way to escape and return to her brother.
The book ends with a shocking reveal, setting the stage for the next instalment in the Fae & Alchemy series.
Quicksilver Characters
- Saeris: A thief with secret alchemical powers
- Kingfisher (Fisher): A fae warrior with a dark past
- Hayden: Saeris’ brother
- Carrion: A gambler and smuggler
- Everlayne: Fisher’s half-sister
- Renfis: A fae warrior, loyal to Fisher
- Lorreth: A fae warrior, loyal to Fisher
- Onyx: A fox adopted by Saeris
- Madra: Queen of Zilvaren
- Belikon: King of the Yvelian Fae
- Malcolm: King of the vampires

Memorable Quicksilver Quotes
Rumors are next-door neighbors to gossip, and gossip always breaks bread with lies.
I hadn’t seen many beautiful things in my short life. But, of all the beautiful things I had seen, Fisher was the most beautiful of all.
Always pay attention to the fine print. The devil’s in the details.
He’d find a way to be cruel – it was in his nature.
Quicksilver Review
Quicksilver is a gripping start to the Fae & Alchemy series, blending high fantasy, magic, and a steamy enemies-to-lovers romance.
Please check trigger warnings before diving into the book as it’s only suitable for an adult reader!
Let’s start with the positives.
The Quicksilver book starts with a pronunciation guide, which I always appreciate when the names of characters and locations aren’t traditional.
The magic system, particularly Saeris’s alchemical abilities with quicksilver, is unique and intriguing.
While the full extent of the magic isn’t entirely clear yet, the mysteries left unanswered feel intentional rather than frustrating.
I also enjoyed the secondary characters, especially the “band of misfits” dynamic. Who doesn’t love a cast of characters coming together to fight the big, bad villain? Plus, Onyx, the animal companion, was an adorable addition.
That said, the book has some flaws.
Now, I was in a reading slump when I started reading this book, so that may have skewed my review to start. I didn’t really get into the story until about halfway through.
The enemies-to-lovers romance leans heavily on the “enemies” part early on, veering into bully romance territory at times, which isn’t my favourite trope.
Once the dynamic shifted to “lovers,” however, the chemistry between Saeris and Fisher was well done.
Be warned: this book is very spicy!
While I don’t mind some heat in a romantasy, a few scenes felt excessive, and the writing during these moments made me cringe. For example:
“His cock was perfect – rigid iron wrapped in silk and velvet.” Lol! First time I’ve heard it described like that.
“I bobbed up and down on his cock.” Again, lol! Exactly how anyone wants a bj to be described.
These lines had me laughing out loud, which I’m sure wasn’t the intention.
Another downside was the editing. I read the independently published version, and while the typos didn’t ruin the experience, they were noticeable. Hopefully, the traditionally published version has polished these issues.
Despite these gripes, I still rated Quicksilver 4 stars.
The ending pulled me out of a reading slump and left me eager for the sequel, with Book 2 being released in 2025.
The final twists were well-executed and set up intriguing possibilities for the next book.
Plus, Netflix has bought the adaptation rights, so we’ll likely see these characters come to life on-screen. I can’t wait to see how they cast Saeris and Fisher!
If you want more of Quicksilver in the meantime, you can read a few chapters from Fisher’s point of view on Callie Hart’s website.
The Fae & Alchemy series is predicted to be a trilogy and once complete, Hart plans on releasing two additional books based on side characters.
Quicksilver Book Club Questions
- What were your favourite and least favourite moments in the book?
- Do you think the book lived up to the TikTok hype?
- What did you think of the romance between Saeris and Kingfisher? Did you enjoy the enemies to lovers trope?
- How would you rate the spice rating of the book? Too much, not enough, or just right?
- Who was your favourite side character, and why?
- What are your thoughts on the magic system? Are there aspects you’d like to see explored more in future books?
- What did you think of Fisher’s relationship with his father?
- What do you think of Fisher’s relationship with Malcolm? What might their backstory reveal in future books?
- Did the ending surprise you? Were you able to predict any of the twists or reveals?
- What do you think will happen in the next book?
- Do you think Saeris will be able to reunite with Hayden and Elroy?
- Will you be continuing the Fae & Alchemy series? Why or why not?
- Have you read the chapters from Fisher’s point of view available on Callie Hart’s website? How do they change your perspective on his character?
- Netflix has bought the rights to Quicksilver, which actors would you cast for each character?
- Will you watch the Netflix adaptation when it airs?
- Hart plans to write books for other characters in this series. Whose story are you most excited to read?